Have you ever said, "I can tie my shoes myself"? That little word myself does an important job. It helps us show that the same person does the action and receives the action, or it adds emphasis to a sentence. Learning to use these words helps your writing sound clear and correct.
A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that points back to the subject of the sentence. The subject is who or what the sentence is about.
Look at this sentence: "Mia dressed herself." The subject is Mia. The word herself points back to Mia. Mia did the action, and Mia is also the one receiving the action.
Reflexive pronouns are words like myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. They usually end in -self or -selves.
These pronouns are useful because they help us avoid confusion. They show clearly that the action goes back to the subject.
Here are the reflexive pronouns in standard English.
| Subject Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | myself |
| you | yourself |
| he | himself |
| she | herself |
| it | itself |
| we | ourselves |
| you (more than one) | yourselves |
| they | themselves |
Table 1. Common subject pronouns and their matching reflexive pronouns.
Notice that self is used for one person or thing, and selves is used for more than one.
A pronoun is a word that can take the place of a noun. Words like I, you, he, she, we, and they are pronouns.
When you write, it helps to check whether your reflexive pronoun matches the subject. If the subject is we, the reflexive pronoun should be ourselves, not myself or themselves.
We use reflexive pronouns when the subject and the object are the same person or thing.
Read these examples:
"I hurt myself."
"You taught yourself a song."
"The cat cleaned itself."
"We made ourselves breakfast."
In each sentence, the person or thing doing the action is the same as the person or thing receiving the action.
Same subject, same receiver
If the action comes back to the subject, a reflexive pronoun often fits. In "Lena saw herself in the mirror," Lena is the subject, and herself points back to Lena.
Sometimes these pronouns appear after certain verbs, especially when someone is doing something to the same person: washed himself, introduced herself, enjoyed themselves.
Reflexive pronouns can also be used for emphasis. This means they add extra force to an idea.
Look at these sentences:
"I made the card myself."
"The principal herself opened the door."
"We cleaned the room ourselves."
In these examples, the reflexive pronoun is not showing that the action comes back to the subject. Instead, it is adding stress. It tells us, "This person did it, and no one else did."
Writers often use reflexive pronouns for emphasis when they want a sentence to sound strong and proud, such as "I finished the puzzle myself!"
This kind of use is common in speaking and writing. It can make a sentence more lively, but it should still be used correctly.
A reflexive pronoun must match its subject.
If the subject is singular, use a singular reflexive pronoun: myself, yourself, himself, herself, or itself.
If the subject is plural, use a plural reflexive pronoun: ourselves, yourselves, or themselves.
Here are some matching pairs:
Correct matching helps your sentence sound right. For example, "They helped themselves" is correct. "They helped ourselves" is not correct because they does not match ourselves.
Some mistakes happen because reflexive pronouns sound fancy, and people may use them in the wrong place. A reflexive pronoun should not be used just to replace I or me.
Read these examples carefully:
Incorrect: "Maya and myself went to the library."
Correct: "Maya and I went to the library."
Incorrect: "Please give the paper to Ben or myself."
Correct: "Please give the paper to Ben or me."
Use myself only when it points back to I or when it adds emphasis.
Sentence check
Read the sentence: "I baked myself a muffin."
Step 1: Find the subject.
The subject is I.
Step 2: Check the reflexive pronoun.
Myself matches I.
Step 3: Decide if it makes sense.
Yes. The same person baked and received the muffin.
The sentence is correct.
Another mistake is using forms that are not standard English, such as hisself or theirselves. In standard English, say himself and themselves.
Also be careful not to use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are different.
Incorrect: "Jada gave myself a pencil."
Correct: "Jada gave me a pencil."
Since Jada is the subject and me is a different person, a reflexive pronoun does not belong there.
Good writers and speakers choose pronouns carefully. Reflexive pronouns help make meaning clear. They can show exactly who did an action, and they can add emphasis when needed.
When you revise your writing, check each reflexive pronoun. Ask yourself these questions:
This kind of checking helps strengthen your grammar. It also helps your sentences sound smooth and natural.
Why this matters in revision
Revision is not only about spelling. It is also about choosing the right words. If a writer uses the wrong pronoun, the sentence may sound confusing. Fixing reflexive pronouns is one way to make writing clearer.
For example, compare these two sentences:
"The coach spoke to myself after practice."
"The coach spoke to me after practice."
The second sentence is clearer and correct. The coach and me are not the same person, so myself does not fit.
These examples show different ways reflexive pronouns work.
"Noah looked at himself in the shiny window." Here, himself points back to Noah.
"I packed my lunch myself." Here, myself adds emphasis. It tells us that I packed it without help.
"The puppies played by themselves." Here, themselves shows that the puppies played on their own.
"We reminded ourselves to whisper in the library." Here, ourselves matches the subject we.
Compare two sentences
Sentence A: "She drew herself."
Sentence B: "She drew by herself."
Step 1: Look at Sentence A.
This means she made a picture of herself.
Step 2: Look at Sentence B.
This means she drew alone, without help.
Step 3: Notice the difference.
The words around the reflexive pronoun change the meaning.
Small grammar choices can make a big difference.
You may also see reflexive pronouns in stories, directions, and conversations. They are common because people often talk about what they do on their own: dress themselves, teach themselves, help themselves.
When you listen and read, notice these words. When you write, use them carefully so your ideas are easy to understand.
"The right word helps a sentence say exactly what you mean."
Using reflexive pronouns well is part of writing with strong grammar. It helps your reader know who is doing the action and why the sentence matters.
